


Sweeter

by cmshaw



Category: due South
Genre: M/M, lj snippet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-07-16
Updated: 2002-07-16
Packaged: 2017-10-05 08:29:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmshaw/pseuds/cmshaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You need me to go back for a machete or something?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweeter

Fraser said they tasted better, but Kowalski didn't really think so himself. Still, he followed Fraser along the edges of the _thing with the great big spikes_ that Fraser insisted was a fine specimen of its kind and he didn't even complain until one of the branches of the _thing_ grabbed his shoulder (on _purpose_, he was certain of it) and ripped his teeshirt and the skin under it open.

"Ow!" he said then, tucking the bowl of raspberries under his elbow and clapping his free hand over his hurt shoulder.

"Careful," Fraser said absently, not even turning around to see that Kowalski was _bleeding_ here, and when Kowalski looked up from his wound he saw that the crazy Mountie was halfway into the middle of the spiked thing. He watched, still more than half-certain that Fraser was some sort of weird fairy-tale creature who was _asking_ the plant not to bite him or something, as Fraser gently picked up a branch, shifted it behind his shoulder, and eased another inch forward. "Ah!" Fraser said. "This is very good. May I have the bowl, please?"

"Are you nuts?" Kowalski asked conversationally as he gingerly stretched his arm out toward the spiked thing until Fraser could take it from him.

"Hmm?" Fraser said, fingers dancing through the bristling spikes to shake the dark red raspberries into their bowl. "No, I don't believe so," he said.

Kowalski rubbed his shoulder a little more. "Okay, good," he said, and watched Fraser pick berries for a while. It was warm today, and the sun was high enough for him to feel the difference as he moved in and out of the spotty shadows of the small trees. There were little noises all around him -- bird noises, bug noises, wind noises, Dief-digging-up-something-smelly noises -- that still didn't add up to any big noise for a city boy like himself; he liked that. It made it peaceful out here. He plucked a few of the berries that he could reach without risking life and limb and ate them thoughtfully. They didn't taste a whole lot like grocery-store raspberries or raspberry-flavored things, although he'd probably be able to tell what they were if his eyes were closed. And if it was a matter of life or death to identify fruit by taste. Which he should not mention to Fraser, because Fraser probably had a story about this time when it _was_.

Humming a little under his breath, he wandered around with his sticky red handful. Warm fruit -- was that sanitary? Well, Fraser was eating it. Kowalski looked down at his hands. He and Fraser would probably look like they were both wearing lipstick by the end of the day. Good thing they didn't have to go into town for a couple of weeks at least. Kowalski was perfectly willing to eat roots and berries -- or berries, at least, and if Fraser had been slipping roots into their dinner he'd been smart enough not to mention it to Kowalski -- if it meant not having to go into town. _One_ Canadian was greatness. A whole _town_ of them got on Kowalski's nerves really, really fast.

"Ray!" Fraser called, and Kowalski turned. It looked like Fraser was being eaten by the spiked thing, like one of those Mars Flytrap plants that ate meat instead of being eaten like a good little plant. He'd seen those in the zoo once, when he was a kid. "Ray, could you take this?"

Kowalski edged closer, grabbed the bowl from Fraser, and backed away quickly. "You need me to go back for a machete or something?" he asked.

Fraser laughed. "I hardly think that's necessary," he said, and in fact he looked like he was tangoing with the thing, hopping back and forth with a hand going here, a hand moving there, and voila! he was standing free. He clicked his heels together and grinned at Kowalski, who had to grin back. Fraser looked so terribly pleased with himself -- and there _was_ raspberry stain like lipstick on his mouth. And then he was taking the bowl away from Kowalski and setting it on the ground and kissing him all hot and sticky and happy.

"You _are_ nuts," Kowalski said affectionately when Fraser pulled back to rest his forehead against Kowalski's.

"I am not," Fraser objected. "Raspberries taste better like this."


End file.
